Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels (6/8/22) Starting Lineup, Betting Odds, Prediction

After Michael Wacha threw a complete-game shutout against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday to hand the Halos their 12th straight loss, the Angels decided it was time for a change.

The Angels canned manager Joe Maddon, and started looking for new answers to the Mike Trout–Shohei Ohtani problem.

But the Angels went on to lose their 13th straight game. Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock didn’t have his best game, but the bullpen and red-hot lineup picked up him and Boston has now won six straight games.

All the momentum is in Boston’s favor, and they are rightful favorites on the road with their ace on the mound.

But is it time to buy low on the Angels?

Let’s dive into the starting lineups, betting odds, and my prediction for this Wednesday matchup in Anaheim.

Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels Odds

Although all the momentum is going towards Boston, this line seems a bit ridiculous. The Red Sox are laying over -160 on the ML against a solid lineup on the road.

Eovaldi is a great pitcher, but he has been nothing but average in 2022.

But you won’t catch me betting on the Angels anytime soon.

I think there’s a better bet we can find elsewhere in this matchup.

Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup

CF E. Hernandez R
3B R. Devers L
DH J. Martinez R
SS X. Bogaerts R
LF A. Verdugo L
2B T. Story R
1B F. Cordero L
C C. Vazquez R
RF J. Bradley L

Boston Red Sox vs Reid Detmers

Save a no-hitter earlier this season, and Detmers has been as unspectacular as you can imagine.

All of his run metrics sit between 4.20 and 4.85. He hasn’t been good, he hasn’t been bad, and he isn’t due for any positive or negative regression. His 0.2 fWAR shows he’s been a productive player, if barely.

His WHIP stands at just 1.00, which is remarkable. But his BABIP is still only .194, and his 6.20 K/9 doesn’t inspire much confidence. Especially when you consider his batted ball statistics aren’t elite:

Image credit: Baseball Savant

I’m not sure if “slightly above average” will cut it on Wednesday against Boston. Over the last 30 days, the Red Sox have the highest BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ in the league. The core of the lineup continues to rake, but the bottom half of the order is beginning to find its way as well.

Los Angeles Angels Starting Lineup

3B M. Duffy R
DH S. Ohtani L
CF M. Trout R
1B J. Walsh L
RF J. Adell R
LF B. Marsh L
C M. Stassi R
2B T. Wade L
SS A. Velazquez S

Los Angeles Angels vs Nathan Eovaldi

It’s tough to figure out Eovaldi so far this season. Everything is going to plan for “Nasty Nate” except for home runs, which have come at a ridiculously high rate.

Eovaldi allowed just 15 home runs in 182 ⅓ innings last season. So far, he’s allowed 16 home runs in 63 ⅓ innings. His HR/FB rate is up from 8.2% in 2021 to 22.9% in 2022. He’s due for some regression in that area, but those numbers are too crazy to completely disregard.

Eovaldi’s avg. exit velocity allowed is up over 3mph year-over-year, with his 91.4mph avg. EV allowed ranking in the bottom 10% of qualified pitchers.

While Eovaldi’s approach hasn’t changed, it just seems like there are a few balls that he can’t sneak by hitters. His slider and cutter have both recorded at +4 Run Value this season, even though he’s throwing his cutter less than he ever has.

I still believe Eovaldi is getting unlucky. This is an ace-level pitcher who is going through a short unfortunate streak.

Hopefully, facing this Angel lineup will get him back into shape. The Halos have posted the second-lowest wRC+ (81) over the last two weeks, and now the legendary Mike Trout is rumored to be hurt again.

#Angels’ Mike #Trout leaves game with left groin tightness after strong start: A day after snapping his 0-for-26 slump, Trout homers and doubles in his first two at-bats on Tuesday, but he did not appear to be running full speed on the double and left… https://t.co/JOfnFqqirz pic.twitter.com/GUV7k7bUwT

— LA Angels Baseball News (@LAAngelsBB) June 8, 2022

The Angels are in a bad spot right now, and their 6.12 bullpen ERA over the last month only hurts their cause.

Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels Pick & Prediction

My picks: Over 9 (-105 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

As much as I want to trust Eovaldi, this is a tough road situation against a very hard-hitting lineup. And with his home run history in 2022, he could give up three-to-five runs in hurry.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox lineup is cooking. They should be able to pick up plenty of runs against Detmers and an Anaheim bullpen that has been one of the worst in the league over the past few weeks.

While Boston’s bullpen has been slightly better, they’re somewhat stretched after Garrett Whitlock’s shorter start on Tuesday night. And you can never really trust the Boston bullpen, anyway.

All-in-all, the over looks great on Wednesday night. And it’s already started to take some sharp money, making this the perfect play for us.